The casting rumor first sparked at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, when producer Michael Benaroya promoted his latest project. Benaroya himself is expected to finance "Hate Mail" which is projected to be made with the budget of $11 million.

Further details of "Hate Mail" are still scarce. Nonetheless, Variety reported the rumored project back in 2012, stating that it "will feature interweaving stories about several Manhattanites who encounter various iterations of hate mail and grapple with the subsequent fallout of their relationships." It is unclear what character Pattinson and Johansson would play. It was said that Phillip Seymour Hall was also included in the cast ensemble.